To the Honourable Members of the House of Representatives in the Parliament assembled:

This petition of Australian citizens draws the attention of the House to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's decision to cancel its broadcasting of lawn bowls on free-to-air television.

The ABC has a Charter set out in section 6 of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983 that states it should broadcast programs that contribute to a sense of national identity and inform and entertain, and reflect the cultural diversity of the Australian community and further requires it to provide a balance between wide appeal and specialised broadcasting programs.

Lawn bowls is one of the highest participation sports in Australia with around 800,000 people playing lawn bowls each year.

66% of participants in the sport are over the age of 60 but it appeals across generations with many younger people participating socially in the sport, as well as children participating through structured programs such as the Australian Sports Commission's Active After Schools Program.

Bowling clubs are an important part of the Australian community, particularly in rural and regional Australia.

Over 300,000 people nationally on average view the bowls broadcast each week, increasing to just under 500,000 people for major tournaments.

The broadcast of lawn bowls on free-to-air TV not only provides a service to existing members but promotes and profiles lawn bowls to prospective participants.

We ask that the House support the immediate reinstatement of lawn bowls on the ABC.